Two killed as storms move across southern United States

BIRMINGHAM Al (Reuters) - Two people were killed and at least four were injured on Monday as a strong storm swept across several southern U.S. states, officials said.

A 75-year-old woman was killed about 45 miles (72 km) outside Birmingham, Alabama, when high wind brought a tree down on her trailer, said Walker County coroner J.C. Poe.

Her husband, who was also in the trailer, was taken to hospital with injuries, Poe said.

Further west, outside the town of Ashdown, Arkansas, a 33-year-old man was killed when a tornado touched down early on Monday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kurt Van Speybroeck.

The man and a 34-year-old woman, who was critically injured, were thrown from a trailer, while three children between the ages 6 and 16 were found with injuries in the debris, Van Speybroeck said.

Another nearby mobile home was damaged, but there were no reports of other injuries. A separate tornado formed further north and damaged three structures that had been hit by a tornado this month, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm system, which stretched from the Texas to Alabama, is expected to continue moving eastward on Tuesday, according to Van Speybroeck.